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A. J. WISEMAN 

ORATOR 



THE 

FIRST RELIGION 



HANDED DOWN BY THE WISE MEN WHO WERE 
CHOSEN OF GOD TO WORSHIP GOD AND BE- 
LIEVED GOD WHEN HE SAID, -BEHOLD, THE 
MAN IS BECOxVIE AS ONE OF US," CAUSING 
US TO BELIEVE JESUS' WORDS WHEN 
HE SAID, -BEHOLD, THE KINGDOM 
OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU," MAKING 
IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THERE^TO 
BE A HELL HEREAFTER 
FOR MANKIND. 



By 
A. J. WISEMAN. 



NEW YORK. 
1904. 

Price, 35c. Cloth, 50c. Half Leather, 75c. 



n4 



UORARY of CONGRESS 

Two Copies Beceived 
APR 18 1904 
s Copyright Entry 

CLAS3 ct XXc, No. 

^ S'- ^ ^ ^ 

COPY 8 



Copyright, 1904, 
By Adam John Wiseman. 



^ 



CONTENTS 

Page 
Preface .Rev. Stephen Merritt 

We Are All God's Offsprings i 

The Founder of the First Religion 7 

What is Heaven ? 13 

The Wise Men 17 

God has Other Worshipers than Flesh and 

Blood , '. 25 

Inspirations from the Words of God the 

Father and God the Son 32 

Convention of the Wise Fathers . .41 

Jesus in the Kingdom of Man 51 

Jesus as a Preacher 60 

Paul as a Preacher. 62 

DowiE AS A Preacher 65 

Kingdoms in the World 67 

Wise Noah 77 

Noah and Abraham as Worshipers 79 

Rich Man Versus Rich Man 82 

How Many in the World To-day Believe in 

the Words of Jesus ? 89 



PREFACE. 



'' The word of God standeth sure ; having 
this seal the Lord knoweth them that are His." 
The word of the Lord is here gathered, and, 
under the illumination of the Spirit an en- 
deavor has been made so that he that runs may 
read and clearly understand the mind of the 
Spirit in the things of God. Man's wisdom, 
righteousness and goodness is shown to be of 
no avail, but it is the kinordom of God within 
you that tells the story. 

Stephen Merritt. 



WE ARE ALL GOiyS OFFSPRINGS- 

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your 
law, I said, Ye are Gods ? 

Say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified 
and sent into the world, ''Thou blasphemest," because 
I said, I am the Son of God. If I do not the works of 
my Father, believe me not; but if I do, though ye 
believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know 
and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him. 

This makes plain to us God's offsprings in His 
kingdom in all mankind, which only the power of the 
Holy Ghost can show to the world. Jesus says when 
the Spirit of Truth is come He shall glorify me, for He 
shall receive of mine and will show it unto you, which 



2 THE FIRST RELIGION 

means the god in mankind that is made plain by His 
coming to the world. 

I find the word ''truth" is used in the Bible in 
many places instead of '^kingdom/' Jesus tells us 
that when He goes to His Father He will send us a 
spirit we never knew before, the spirit of God's king- 
dom in mankind. While we know God's spirit is love, 
we know the human spirit is our conscience. Here are 
represented the spirits of the two kingdoms in the 
world, and while man cannot do good works, it shows 
us all goodness comes from within us, as it comes from 
within Jesus, who said His Father maketh His sun to 
rise on the evil kingdom and the good kingdom. 
Preachers want to make flesh and blood so they can go 
to heaven. Jesus, who was the only one in the world 
at that time who had the spirit of the God kingdom, 
did not make flesh and blood any better. If any 
preacher could draw mankind to be better, I should 



THE FIRST RELIGION 3 

think the Son of God in the flesh could. It is strange 
mankind got worse tinder His preaching, so He did not 
have a friend in the world Yet, in His first sermon, 
He said there were in the world the just and the unjust. 
If God's kingdom is not in all, how could there be just 
persons in a world that turned against the Son of 
God and used the spirit of the human kingdom, their 
conscience, which told them to kill God ? How many 
times does this spirit of the human conscience spring 
up in the diifferent churches in our age, showing a 
desire to hate or shut out any who do not believe their 
way ? But we find the spirit of the universal kingdom 
of God under King Jesus doing away with the foolish 
spirit of the human kingdom in the world. 

A. J. Wiseman. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 



THE FOUNDER OF THE FIRST RELIGION. 

GOD alone is Founder of the First Religfion. 

Through His kingdom in mankind the God 

part of us is like the Father of all knowledge, who 

can not change His power within us which causes 

us to be perfect before Him always. 

The fact that man is not himself, but belongs to 
God, will be made plain to you if you abstain for a little 
while from mere admiration, and, like me, put your 
mind on God's word only, and while doing so let us 
imagine we are looking at God Almighty, talking to the 
man who is founder of all evil and death, while we hear 
Him say, **The man is become as one of us." Jesus 
being with them, who since w^as on earth, and was 
known to say to those who sought to do Him harm. 



8 THE FIRST RELIGION 

"Behold the kingdom of God is within you." We 
being one with God proves these words. 

It gives me great pleasure to have my readers see 
the perfect thoughts of the reverend gentleman whose 
name is signed under ^'What is Heaven?*' who is 
not a Universalist member, but a man who has an in- 
spiration from God's kingdom within him, his words 
being like those spoken by Peter to Jesus, when Jesus 
said in reply, "Flesh and blood have not revealed this 
unto thee." 

I wish to draw your attention to the second verse of 
"What is Heaven?" "One shall be taken and the 
other left." 

There is nothing surer in this world than our 
bodies being left, while the kingdom of God is being 
taken. 

This has been witnessed by mankind since the 
foundation of the world. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 9 

I also refer to the third verse, where it says, ^*If 
this soul be unredeemed/' 

The kingdom of God, which Jesus says is within 
man, does not need to be redeemed. It has never had 
a defect : it could not have. God being perfect and 
man being evil, makes God's kingdom in man perfect. 

While you read this book, I hope to be able to 
have you see as I do, that within this kingdom of God, 
which is within us, there are the true worshipers of 
God, whose influence Christ has brought to bear on our 
lives, who is king of this kingdom of God in the world 
to-day. It is only under His government that man is 
caused to know good. 

I would, like Paul in his writings, urge upon you 
to remember that within you there is a treasure. II. 
Corinthians, iv. , 7: ^*But we have this treasure in 
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may 
be of God, and not of us. " 



10 THE FIRST RELIGION 

We can see where the treasure is by referring to 
Jesus' words, *'The kingdom of God is within you." 

I am aware of the fact that we cannot control or 
comprehend, while in the flesh, this perfection; yet we 
have Jesus' words, "We must be born again," 

Which brings us in accordance with the exact 

WORDS OF NAPOLEON* 

One day he said to one of his officers: '^Can you 
tell me who Jesus Christ was ? *' 

The officer owned that he had not yet taken thought 
of such things. 

^*Well, then," said Napoleon, "I will tell you." 

He then compared Christ to himself and with the 
heroes of antiquity and showed how Jesus far surpassed 
them. 

** I think I understand somewhat of human nature, " 
he continued, "and I tell you all these were men and 



THE FIRST RELIGION 11 

I am a man, but not one is like Him. Jesus was more 
than a man. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and my- 
self founded great empires, but upon what did the 
creation of our genius depend ? Upon force. Jesus 
alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very- 
day millions would die for him. Here lies the Book of 
Books upon the table," touching it reverently; *^what 
a proof of the divinity of Jesus Christ! Yet in this 
absolute sovereignty He has but one aim — the spiritual 
perfection of the individual, the purification of his con- 
science, his union with what is true, the salvation of his 
soul. Men wonder at the conquests of Alexander, but 
here is a conqueror who draws men to Himself for their 
highest good ; who unites to Himself, incorporates unto 
Himself, not a nation, but a whole human race." 

Again, Napoleon said: ** From first to last Jesus is 
the same, always the same, majestic and simple, in- 
finitely gentle. Throughout a life passed under the 



12 THE FIRST RELIGION 

public eye He never gives occasion to find fault. The 
prudence of His conduct compels our admiration by its 
union of force and gentleness. Alike in speech and 
action, He is enlightened, consistent and calm. Sub- 
limity is said to be an attribute of divinity. What name, 
then, shall we give Him in whose character were united 
every element of the sublime? I know men, and I tell 
you that Jesus is not a man. Everything in Him 
amazes me. His spirit outreaches mine, and His will 
confounds me. I defy you to cite another like that of 
Christ." 

This inspiration from the kingdom of God within 
this great warrior makes plain to us Jesus* own words, 
which prove He was the Son of the living God, when 
He said He was with the Father before the world was. 
His name is clear to us when He said, ** That which is 
born of the spirit is spirit," and also '' My kingdom is 
not of this world.'* 



WHAT IS HEAVEN? 

FREDERIC LAURENCE KNOWLES. 

I heard a preacher talk of Heaven, a land 
Reserved for him and his, the Lord's elect ; 

He threatened vengeance with a clenched right hand 
On doubters of the dogmas of his sect. 

**One shall be taken and the other left; 

What widow knows, wild with the parting kiss, 
But God may choose that she remain bereft, 

Divorced by Hell's impassable abyss ? 

• 'A mother will not meet her child when Death 
Disjoins them, if his soul be unredeemed; 

These loves of earth are fugitive as breath, 

And have no weight with God. " Thus be blasphemed. 



14 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Merely a boy, as I beheld the sky 

Through the church windows, I grew sick with fear, 
As fatherless as Hagar's child felt I, 

Beggared of hope and naked of all cheer. 

I left the barren room while still the flock 
Were worshiping their God, or thought they were, — 

*'Joy!'' smiled the flowers, * 'Peace!*' sang each patient 
rock, 
"Love!" shouted forth each wild bird-chorister. 

And happy children raced along a brook, 

And matched with innocent boasts their rival speed; 
But service now was out^ — I saw rebuke 

In faces blackened by a loveless creed. 

Then flashed God's truth ! and from that day the lies 
Framed by the creeds of men, which mock our earth, 

Burlesque the sun and travesty the skies, 
I value only at their worthless worth. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 15 

Heaven ? What is Heaven ! Escape from burning coals, 
Or simply love ? Well, one thing it is never: 

An aristocracy of virtuous souls 

Where the self-righteous sun themselves for ever! 

To think that Love 's creator rashly hurled 

To outer darkness such a masterpiece ! 
Love — the best gift in this or any world — 

Made perfect to be shattered in caprice. 

A pagan bowing down to sea or sun 

Or harmless idol on his cabin shelf 
Is nearer Truth than you whose God is one 

Less good and merciful than you yourself. 

If God is God, and if His name be Love, 
Can He elect or damn like some mad Fate ? 

Far better say no life exists above 

Than bend the knee to worship infinite Hate ! 



16 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Love must survive, a thing of all delight, 

In this fair Heaven between the grass and blue 

And in what Heavens may lie beyond our sight, — 
But who elects it ? Is it God, or you ? 

The above is as it appeared in the Zion's Herald^ 
New York, Wednesday, October 14, 1903. 






THE FIRST RELIGION 17 



THE WISE MEN. 

Matthew, ii., 1-2: **Now when Jesus was born in 
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, 
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 

**Saying, where is he that is born King of the 
Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, and are 
come to worship him." 

The fact that wise men were chosen of God to wor- 
ship God in the flesh is proven by their being guided 
by a star in the heavens, which can only be controlled 
by God, who, in the beginning said, * ^Let there be light, 
and there was light," which man has no control over. 
God also breathed into the form of clay life, which in 
man formed a kingdom unto God. God is the sole 
controller of His kingdom in man. 



18 THE FIRST RELIGION 

The outer kingdom being temporal, makes man an 
instrument in his hands for the development of the 
true worshipers of His house, which he built for all 
mankind before the world began, in which house Jesus 
says there are many mansions. 

The wise men, like all classes of men in the flesh, 
while having this heavenly vision from God of the 
arriving of the Christ child , thought it meant the bet- 
terment of their kind only when they proclaimed Him 
King of the Jews, whom we find after to be His greatest 
enemies, but from which class one was chosen of God 
to have the knowledge of His hidden truth in man to 
come true to the world, causing His perfect Son to 
shine through the flesh, it being the sin He took upon 
Himself for us when leaving this world. God made 
His earthly body into a glorified body, which as- 
cended, and in like manner descended, and is king in 
the world to-day of his Father's kingdom in men. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 19 

Jesus' words, Matthew, xvi., 28: '* Verily I say unto 
you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste 
of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his 
kingdom." 

There is no doubt the wise men thought they would 
meet the approval of the Jews while entering Jerusa- 
lem, as they made no secret of this inspiration from 
God, but commenced to inquire about, as they 
thought, their coming king. I hardly think they an- 
ticipated they were going to cause such excitement as 
they did when their words set fire to all Judea. Those 
words, coming from the God kingdom within the 
wise men, on this occasion was to them a joy they 
never experienced previous to this, which caused 
them to be joyful, while all Jerusalem was weeping, 
wailing and gnashing of teeth, because of their loved 
ones who were murdered so as the authority in that 
day thought the Christ child could not escape death. 



20 THE FIRST RELIGION 

This real joy the wise men had, they thought, in- 
cluded only their own kind, which was only a fore- 
taste of what God has in store for all mankind. 

While the wise men came through all this experi- 
ence joyfully, we can see where they were just as 
ignorant of Jesus' kingdom in the world as was King 
Herod and Jerusalem, when we find by Jesus' own 
words he could not be king of flesh and blood, they 
being the founders of evil. 

Jesus' words, '* I and my father are one," makes 
his kingdom plain to us. The star was God's signal 
to His worshipers in His kingdom in the wise men, 
causing them to be guided by God, While seeking 
the place where Jesus was born, this heavenly power 
from within the wise men elevated them with un- 
known joy like that in heaven. Their bursting forth 
and proclaiming this child as the coming king, the 
wise men being of the human kind, showed the spirit 



4 



THE FIRST RELIGION 21 

of the worldly kingdom when they pronounced him 
king of their creed. This spirit of captivity was 
founded by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise, 
the material they were made of being dust, yet they 
claimed by their acts the God nature. God, cursing 
their foundation, separated the perfect nature from 
the evil nature. We can see by the studying of God's 
word that all goodness the kingdom of the world ever 
knew came as an inspiration from this perfect nature 
within man to the world. 

These inspirations are indorsed first by the *wise 
fathers, commencing with wise Noah, coming down 
through the wise prophets to the wise men that were 
chosen of God, giving them knowledge of the coming 
of our King. 

Jesus in his day was against the human nature 
being equal to the God nature, as God was in Adam's 
day against the Adam nature being God. Jesus' own 



^2 THE FIRST RELIGION 

words, ''Why callest thou me good? none is good. '^ 
You cannot serve God. 

The good book tells us the flesh cannot please 
God, yet man claims good works, while Jesus said, 
''The words I speak unto you I speak not of myself: 
the Father that dwelleth in me He doeth the works/' 
Also, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me,^' 
making plain to us His words, " Behold the kingdom 
of God is within man." 

While mankind claim they must serve God, it is 
proven that God is the good of man, and Jesus was 
God's Son in His kingdom in man; that while the 
kingdom of the world undertook to kill the good in 
man proves to us how impossible it is for flesh and 
blood to worship God. 

The wise men desiring that the king should 
benefit their kind, shows the desire of the human race 
to be divided in classes, while in the twentieth cen- 



THE FIRST RELIGION 23 

tury we have the fruits of the human desire in the 
founders of all goodness given by God to the human 
race. 

While we read an account of over one thousand 
religions in the world, every leader claiming, as the 
wise men did, goodness from this king of the uni- 
versal perfection in man to be king of their kind. 
While this universal king was controlling this flesh, 
being of the ground that was cursed for man^s sake, 
he did not profess to be good. 

His own words: ''And I, if I be lifted up from 
the earth, will draw all men unto me." Jesus did not 
say, "When I am king of the world I will draw one 
of those classes of religion that are in the world to-day 
unto me, and leave the others out." No. But said He 
would draw all mankind unto him, He being no re- 
specter of persons. While in the flesh He was one with 
man. Who among us would believe that Jesus would 



24 THE FIRST RELIGION 

go to a worse hell than while in the world? Do we 
wonder at Jesus for asking His Father, before He was 
lifted np, to glorify Him with the same glory He had 
with Him before the world was. Here we find Jesns 
asking for a goodness He can't get with those He says 
are not good. What a proof of His words, ** You must 
be born again." He is king of God's offsprings, and 
not man's, in the world, and also the God of civ- 
ilization to mankind, while God is the God of his 
kingdom. He, being the father of all perfection, 
flesh and blood can not worship him. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 25 

GOD HAS OTHER WORSHIPERS THAN 
FLESH AND BLOOD. 

God has other worshipers than flesh and blood 
in the world. The Founder of all wisdom is unchange- 
able. Jesus says the foolish are without a foundation, 
as they are formed out of the sand, and they in time 
return from whence they came. 

Our knowledge of the first worshipers of God is 
made known by the inspiration from Adam and Eve, 
which gave them a desire to become god's. Such an 
inspiration did not come from flesh and blood. 

The act on the part of Adam and Eve, who were 
but a short time previous but lumps of clay, while at 
this time the power which was within them would cause 
them to be the parents of their desired gods. John, x., 
34: " Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your 
law, I said ye are gods ? " God was displeased with 



26 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Adam and gave him to understand the human nature 
could not be likened to the God nature. 

While all mankind are his elect, yet he placed a wall 
between perfection and evil, when He said, ^'Cursed is 
the ground for man's sake," which makes it impossible 
for man to be God, or God to be man. 

This wall we find between the two kingdoms in 
the first generation, and through this curse man be- 
came so corrupt that God said His spirit (which is His 
kingdom) will not always strive with man, for he also is 
flesh, but gave notice of one hundred and twent)^ years 
before He would withdraw His Kingdom from them, 
during which time father Noah had an inspiration from 
the kingdom of God within him, which caUvSed him to 
build the wonderful ark, which brought him safely to 
the new world. 

The kingdom of God within Noah made him per- 
fect before God, with whom he walked. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 27 

God blessed Noah and his seed, but we find with 
Noah also the human nature in that he first introduced 
to the world the liquor business. 

While I am not prepared to say that Noah was a 
drunkard, yet it must be that sampling the different 
kinds caused him to be the first under the influence of 
liquor. 

x\lso wise Abraham walked and talked with God, 
who blessed his seed. But Abraham was a very rich 
man, and of course for that reason could not live in the 
twentieth century without having a hard struggle to get 
to Heaven if he allowed himself to be governed by 
man's ideas. But Abraham believed God in that gen- 
eration. 

Riches would be immaterial to him in this age 
while he believed Jesus' words : '^Behold the kingdom 
of God is within you." 

We can go on to say God walked with Isaac and 



28 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Jacob. Moses was chosen of God, from whose life we 
can learn a lesson, he being brought up to hate the 
Egyptians, who in time showed the result of his 
training by murdering. 

This shows us that we should not rear a child so 
as to confine him to one doctrine, which in time would 
cause him to hate his fellow man, as all of the human 
race is born of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of 
God being in all mankind, causes us to say ^'Greater 
is He that is within us than he who is in the world." 

While Jesus says ''None are good,'' yet the good 
book tells of the wise prophets who like Adam in the 
garden were inspired through the kingdom within 
them of things to come, and so were the wise men 
whose knowledge of the coming of Jesus is proven. 

Jesus tells us what will happen when He goes to the 
Father, who since made him King of His Kingdom in 
man. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 21) 

He says, Greater things than this will ye do because 
I go to my Father. Making plain to lis we must be 
born again, said, ''I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 
I will draw all men unto me, '' 

Jesus said, ''You shall receive power, the Holy 
Ghost coming upon you. " 

So as in Adam all was dead to God's kingdom, so 
in Jesus all are made alive to God's kingdom. Jesus 
having power to control the inmates of His Father's 
kingdom, causing them to be overcomers, He says, 
'' To him that overcome th will I grant to sit with me 
in my throne, even as I also overcame and am sitting 
down with my Father in His throne," 

How universal were Jesus' words when He said, 
'' I will draw all men unto me." 

How much like the mind of Christ was the father 
of the land of the free when he fought not for the free- 
dom of his country only, but made it possible for all 



30 THE FIRST RELIGION 

the world to share the inspiration of freedom from the 
kingdom of God within him. What an example also 
of the mind of Jesus could be seen in Abraham Lincoln 
when freeing the slaves. The inspiration from this 
chosen man of God is being realized the world over for 
the betterment of mankind. 

George Robinson has an inspiration of freedom 
in view, which seems to me to be one of the very 
best steps for the good of the multitude since Abraham 
Lincoln. 

There is nothing so beautiful as the home of a hus- 
band and wife who are brought together under the in- 
fluence of Jesus' kingdom. And while it is so easy 
to marry and for a couple to unite, having in view other 
motives than pure love, a great many seem to forget 
that they hold the key to heaven or hell on earth, but 
commence to think when those imaginary motives fade, 
only to find the beginning of trouble, which the 



THE FIRST RELIGION 31 

exact words of a preacher's wife endorses after divorce : 
*'My life with that man was a h — 1 on earth. No one 
knows what I have suffered, but now that it is over 
there are some things that are better left unsaid." 

I wish this chosen man of God every success 
with his bill to open wide the divorce courts so those 
who are enslaved can be set at liberty. 



32 THE FIRST RELIGION 



INSPIRATIONS FROM THE WORDS OF GOD 
THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON. 

In Genesis, iii., 12, we have God's words that man 
has become as one with Him and Jesus, to know good 
and evil. It is also plainly seen there is a power within 
the man that would cause hitn, if God did not send him 
forth, to partake of everlasting life, showing us the 
first worshiper of God in the evil man, while referring 
to Jesus' words. John, iv., 23: *'But the hour cometh, 
and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the 
Father in spirit and in truth : for the Father seeketh 
such to worship him." 

In John, xvii., 5, we have Jesus' words: ^*He was 
with the Father before the world was," which makes it 
plain that he was the one with God. 



«| 



THE FIRST RELIGION 33 

In John, X., 30, he says, "I and my Father are 
one. 

In John, v., 37, Jesus says that His Father which 
had sent Him bore witness of Him. 

Jesus also makes it plain that man in Jesus' day 
had neither heard God's voice at any time, nor seen 
His shape. 

Luke, xviii. , 19, brings us in harmony with 
Genesis, iii., 22, where God says, ''Man is become 
as one of us, to know good and evil," and is also 
in harmony with John x. , 30, where Jesus says He 
and His Father are one. 

While we know that both God and Jesus are good, 
yet when Jesus used the words, ''None were good 
save God," His words must necessarily include Hira- 
self while in the flesh among the "none that were 
good." But He, being with the Father before the 
world was, shows us He was born of God and not man. 



34 THE FIRST RELIGION 

John, xiv. , lo, verifies the above statement when 
he says: *'The words that I speak unto you I speak 
not of myself: but my Father that dwelleth within 
me, He doeth the work/' 

In Luke, xvii., 21, we have Jesus' words, stat- 
ing how the Father dwelleth in him, when he says, 
* 'Behold, the kingdom of God is within you." 

In Matthew, xvi., 15-18, Peter says: '* Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the living^^God. " 

Jesus answered: ''Flesh and blood hath not re- 
vealed it unto thee. " 

While we know Jesus Himself was flesh and 
blood, it must be evident that He did not tell Peter, 
which proves to us that none but God are good, and 
that none but God had control of the kingdom of God 
within Peter; for while Jesus said unto Peter, ''Upon 
this rock I build my Church," it must have been that 
the words Peter uttered came from the true worshiper 



i| 



THE FIRST RELIGION 35 

within the kingdom of God within Peter, for it could 
not be upon Peter as a man, when, in the 23d verse 
of this same chapter, Jesus said unto Peter, ''Get thee 
behind me, Satan." Also, ''Thou art an offence 
unto me." 

In Matthew, xxvi., 72, Peter, being flesh and 
blood, denied the Christ with an oath. 

In the 74th verse of this same chapter, "Then 
began he to curse and swear, I know not the man,^' 
who was Jesus. 

In mentioning Jesus' words, I do not wish to con- 
vey the thought that Peter was not a perfect man, 
which is explained by the words of Jesus when he says^ 
"The kingdom of God is within you," which makes all 
men before God perfect, while using God's own words, 
"Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil," 
and while we have Jesus' words, "Mankind is not 
good," the fulfilment of God's words to know good has 



36 THE FIRST RELIGION 

to come, while we are positive we know evil, which we 
are born to, and we have Jesus' words, '*To be good 
we must be born again." 

In Matthew, xix., 28, Jesus excludes none of His 
disciples, while they request of Him a knowledge of 
their inheritance of the future world. 

Jesus, being the Son of God, who knew the end 
from the beginning, was aware of the weakness of each 
and every one of His disciples, including Judas, and 
said, **Ye who have followed me. 

' ' In the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit 
in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon the 
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

'' Did I not choose twelve of you and one hath a 
devil ? Did I not cast out devils from my Father's 
perfect ones while in the world, which caused them to 
be overcomers, but not as flesh and blood." 

Read my words, Revelations, iii., 2 1 : ^*To him that 






THE FIRST RELIGION 37 

overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, 
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my 
Father in his throne." In the above words spoken 
by Jesus He plainly tells of His throne, while He calls 
the inmates of His Father's kingdom overcomers of 
men through His power in the world as king of His 
Father's kingdom in man. 

Jesus' words, John, iv., 23-24: ^^But the hour 
Cometh, and now is. when the true worshipers vshall 
worship the Father in spirit and in truth : for the Father 
seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit: and 
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and 
in truth." While we know that all His worshipers in 
the flesh forsake Him, yet we can see by His own 
words that He could boast of the inmates of His Fath- 
er's kingdom in man as the true worshipers who were 
worshiping the Father, while man was planning to 
crucify Him, not knowing the perfection in man. I don't 



38 THE FIRST RELIGION 

think in the twentieth century there is one that believes 
that evil being man can kill the Son of God, who was 
with God before the world was. 

While Jesus tells us none are good, He makes it 
plain that while we are in the flesh we can*t be true 
worshipers of God. But Jesus tells us the power of His 
kingdom, which He says is not of the world, will have 
over the lives of mankind after he leaves the earthly 
body. John, xii. , 32: ''And I, if I be lifted up from 
the earth, will draw all men unto me." We can have 
no better proof than this. 

While it has been told in print to the world that 
there are over one thousand religions, making it possi- 
ble for man to have over one thousand different ways 
to choose from to go to heaven. 

And while God in the beginning made a way clear 
for His perfection, without which none can exist, He, 
being all wisdom, could not receive knowledge from 



THE FIRST RELIGION 39 

mankind, but made plain through His Son while in 
the flesh, whereof His perfection came. 

Jesus, while showing His love for children, said, 
**Of such is the kingdom of God," which brings to our 
mind His words, ''Behold the kingdom of God is 
within you." 

While I am a believer in all religions, their aim 
being to know God, yet I would fail to be as one of 
the number above. 

While they have their way to heaven partitioned 
off into over a thousand sections, so that when a child 
that is of the kingdom of God comes to the world one 
of the creeds would adopt it, which I believe is right, 
but only to dedicate it to God, whose power that is 
within the child will cause it to become as one with 
God. 

If the religion of men would give the child an 
opportunity so that the same universal freedom could 



40 THE FIRST RELIGION 

be received from man, in time the cause of those parti- 
tions, which is prejudice, will be wiped out; then will 
shine forth the universal freedom to all mankind, 
bringing us in accordance with the new commandment 
which Jesus left with the human race, 

John, xiii, 34: *• A new commandment I give unto 
you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, 
that ye also love one another." 



THE FIRST RELIGION 41 



CONVENTION OF THE WISE FATHERS. 

I will illustrate to you in order to bring the 
light of God's own words, which cannot but benefit 
my readers, while imagining the fathers of all these 
different religions in the world coming together, so 
that they would hold, as it were, a convention, to dis- 
cuss why all this goodness comes to evil men. 

We will suppose this convention is now opening, 
while among them is a representative of the wise men, 
he being a descendant of the first religion which was 
handed down by God to our wise fathers, Noah, 
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this wisdom coming down 
through the prophets froin the wise fathers to the 
wise men who knew of the coming of Jesus. 

This wise man is believed to be the organizer of 



42 THE FIRST RELIGION 

this convention, which brings the fathers of all the 
churches on earth to be united as one. The fathers 
in return credit him with this Christ-like mind, which 
brings unity to mankind. There is no doubt but that 
this caused the fathers to vote him to be chairman on 
this occasion, to lead them in making plain the ques- 
tion spoken of. 

I imagine I hear the wise man using such words 
as these in his opening address: 

**Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to meet 
you on this occasion and to have the honor of address- 
ing the fathers of the production of good works which 
are not of man, but of God. But while it is in all 
men, yet God and His Son only have the giving out of 
such goodness to the world. The knowledge of such 
good works, gentlemen, came first to the world by 
God's personal command, to the wise fathers, in the re- 
newing of our world. Before this command from God 






THE FIRST RELIGION 43 

there were no good works known to the world. And, 
gentlemen, I, as a ^wise man,* being a descendant 
from the wise fathers, was at a loss to know how 
goodness could come through evil man, until I saw 
where Jesus told even the foolish Pharisees, ^Behold, 
the kingdom of God is within you. ' Then flashed the 
truth of God's kingdom within me. Then I could see, 
gentlemen, why God chose man while being guilty of 
the worst crimes and inspired him to do work for Him. 
Now we can see the inspirations did not come from 
flesh and blood, but from the kingdom of God within 
man. We find by Jesus' words God from the begin- 
ning was protecting his own in this kingdom while he 

I allowed evil man to be destroyed. 

j ^T am not going to take up much time in my ad- 

i 

* dress, gentlemen, as it is necessary for us to get back 
to our different posts of duty while, in this twentieth 
century, this light of God's truth is coming to all men, 



44 THE FIRST RELIGION 

and our delay from the post of duty too long is 
liable to bring on ns the same calamity as our learned 
brother Dowie, who, while being delayed recently in 
New York, is now, I am sure, anxious to get back, as 
he wants to avoid the work of hardening the sand as he 
had to do upon his return from New York, in order to 
have his church stand. 

**So, in conclusion, gentlemen, it is unnecessary 
for me to say, *for us to bear each other's burdens' 
while I am talking to an audience on the same basis 
with myself, who, I am sure, have made it a lifelong 
study, and have succeeded, under the government of 
Christ, to make the world better. 

**Gentlemen, in opening this convention, to get 
down to business, I would say to commence with, while 
we represent God the Father, God the Son, and God 
the Holy Ghost, and knowing outside of those there is 
no greater power, they being the founders of all things 



THE FIRST RELIGION 45 

which were ever made, and while we believe Jesus' 
words when He said: ^Behold, the kingdom of God is 
within you,' to do honor to him, it is necessary to shut 
out any question pointing to a hell hereafter, as any 
such question would place doubt on his words. 

** While this is only a suggestion from me, I would 
ask the gentlemen who are in favor of having this ques- 
tion, if need be, brought up in favor of a hell hereafter 
to remain seated, and those who are in favor of having 
this question shut out altogether from the convention, 
thereby showing they believe God to be the greater, 
please stand. 

'^Thank you, gentlemen. I assure you there is 
nothing that can occur in this world to give me more 
pleasure than to see the fathers of the wisdom given 
from God through Christ stand and thereby witness 
the fruit of God's goodness, believing Jesus' words when 
he said, 'The kingdom of God is within you, ' which 



46 THE FIRST RELIGION 

makes you agree with me when I say it is impossible 
for there to be a hell hereafter for mankind. 

'*I thank you, gentlemen. Please take your seats. 
This question is ruled out. 

**The next question, gentlemen, that comes before 
you and which arises in the world on account of the 
free school system in America, which system in time 
the whole world will adopt, which will make you all 
interested, and which means that all mankind, if so de- 
sired, can just as well be educated as we are, thereby 
causing the people to read and think for themselves. 
As God's words, we all know, are as sharp as a two- 
edged sword to the dissolving of the truth under 
the government of Christ. And, gentlemen, the free 
libraries in America that*s like our mothers' parlors, 
the people just delight during their leisure time while 
resting in these beautiful places, to read, and the 



THE FIRST RELIGION 47 

beauty of it is, they are not shut off from any book 
that there is any knowledge to be derived from. 

*'We find in this age, gentlemen, that the Holy 
Bible is no longer a book of the past. 

^*This question that no one but us in the flesh can 
solve, comes from God's own words, Genesis, iii. , 22: 
*And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become 
as one of us, to know good and evil ; and now, lest he 
put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, 
and eat, and live for ever. ' 

"The problem which the world wants us to solve, 
while they believe God's word, which says, 'Man has 
become as one of us, to know good and evil,' they also 
believe Jesus' words when He says, 'None are good,' 
and also His words, 'The kingdom of God is within 
you,' which makes God's words plain, 'That man be- 
fore him actually knows good and evil,' making it 



48 THE FIRST RELIGION 

possible for all men to be one with God the Father' 
and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 

''This kingdom of God in man proves that God has 
other worshipers than flesh and blood, which proves 
Jesus* words when he says, 'They who worship Him 
must worship Him in spirit and in truth,' which is 
God*s kingdom in man. This truth is brought to 
light under the government of Christ and shows us 
that without God's Son in the world we would be no 
better than any man that ever lived." 

I imagine these words had such an effect on the 
fathers of the different churches of the world that 
their inclination to speak on the subject of their good- 
ness would cause them all to be on their feet at once. 

While they could not all speak at once, they, 
being men, would naturally be somewhat impatient 
while awaiting an opportunity to express their opin- 
ions on the subject of goodness. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 49 

I imagine during the confusion that the repre- 
sentative of the larger church would have a tendency 
to look on the representative of the smaller church 
with a desire to have him wait, and allow the most 
experienced to speak first. 

Then the wise leader would again have to have 
his say, he representing the first religion, being a de- 
scendant of the wise men who walked with God. I 
imagine the excitement in this convention was such 
that it caused the wise leader to rap for order, but 
without avail. I also imagine that during this con- 
fusion, Jesus, who is ever near, appeared to them with 
the words, ' 'Peace be unto you," and like the words 
uttered by Him when He calmed the seas, so those 
words calmed the fathers of all the churches in the 
world. 

I imagine I can see them as they beheld the Mas- 
ter. They were of one mind toward Him. Of course. 



50 THE FIRST RELIGION 

the holy influence from Christ, coming in contact with 
the kingdom of God within the fathers of religion, 
would naturally cause them to be in accordance with 
Christ, so if it really occurred that the Christ would 
appear in their presence, the inmates of this kingdom 
would cause the fathers to put forth their hands, and if 
they would only touch Jesus, the evil, which is their 
bodies, would vanish, so they could eat of God's good- 
ness and live for ever, which complies with Jesus* 
words to His perfect ones, who are the inmates of His 
Father's kingdom, their power being brought to man- 
kind through the Holy Ghost, thereby causing them to 
be overcomers, Jesus' words, Revelations, vii., 2: 
' 'To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree 
of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. " 



THE FIRST RELIGION 51 



JESUS IN THE KINGDOM OF MAN AS ONE 
WITH THE THIEF ON THE CROSS. 
THE THIEF AS ONE WITH 
JESUS IN THE KING- 
DOM OF Goa 

I imagine Jesus saying to them as sons of men: ''I 
am your goodness, as I was goodness to the thief on 
the cross, when my Father's kingdom within him went 
with me to Paradise, in accordance with my words/' 

Luke, xxiii., 43: ^^And Jesus said unto him, verily I 
say unto thee; to-day shalt thou be with me in Para- 
dise," shows none of you are good. 

Read Father's words, Genesis, iii, 17: ^ ' And un- 
to Adam He said, Cursed is the ground for thy sake." 

While I was controlling the flesh which was sub- 
jected to this curse in the world. 



52 THE FIRST RELIGION 

John, X., 33-38: **The Jews answered him, saying, 
For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; 
and because that thou, being a man, makes thyself God. 

*' Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your 
law, I said. Ye are gods ? 

'*If he called them gods, unto whom the word of 
God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken; 

*^ Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified 
and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I 
said, I am the Son of God ? 

''^ If I do not the works of my Father, believe me 
not. 

'^ But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe 
the works; that ye may know, and believe, that the 
Father is in me, and I in him." 

*^If it were possible for you to be good without 
me, I would not have to introduce God's perfect king- 
dom to the kingdom of the dark world. By coming 



THE FIRST RELIGION 53 

through this perfect kingdom to control it in the 
world J and while in the world and controlling the 
flesh, I denounced the flesh by saying none were good 
save God." 

Luke, xviii., 19: *^And Jesus said unto him, Why 
callest thou me good ? None is good, save one, that 
is, God." 

"I could never have controlled the sinful flesh, 
but, as already stated by me, my kingdom is not of 
this world." 

John, xviii., 36-37: ''Jesus answered, My king- 
dom is not of this world ; if my kingdom were of this 
world, then would my servants fight, that I should 
not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom 
not from hence " 

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king- 
then ? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king 
To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into 



54 THE FIRST RELIGION 

the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. 
Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." 

Pilate said unto me, *'What is truth ?" My telling 
him it was my Father's kingdom, he, being man, could 
not understand any more than my disciples, who were 
chosen of me, could understand. If they could have 
understood, they would never have forsaken me, as 
all the world did. 

I also said, ^'I and my Father are one," which 
shows that, while my Father never changed, He was 
always king of His kingdom within man, and by my 
coming to the world made me king of His kingdom in 
the world. 

This perfect one, which is the spirit of truth which 
I said would stay with you forever, is none other than 
the inmate of my Father's kingdom in you, who, 
through my going to my Father, then come to the 
perfect one power from the Holy Ghost. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 55 

John, xiv,, 26: /'But the Comforter, which is the 
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, 
He will teach you all things, and bring all things to 
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 

John, XV., 26: **Butwhen the Comforter is come, 
whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the 
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he 
shall testify of me. " Which is the God in mankind. 

While I look over the audience and see such a 
number who are representatives of people who are 
seeking after the truth of my government, each and 
all of you will agree with me when I say my proph- 
ecy is true. 

John, xii. , 32: ''And I, if I be lifted up from the 
earth, will draw all men unto me." 

While I cause mankind to believe me for my 
very works' sake makes my words so plain to you, 
that I was in my Father's kingdom while on earth. 



66 THE FIRST RELIGION 

John, xiv., lo-ii; '^Believes! thou not that I am 
in the Father, and the Father in me ? the words that 
I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the 
Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. 

''Believe me that lam in the Father, and the 
Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' 
sake." 

A voice from the audience was heard to say: 
* * You could not be other than good. You are the Son 
of the living God." 

These words are true, ''The son of the living 
God can only be good," but I am not greater than my 
Father. 

And while man is good and evil, the Son of God 
could only be of the good in man. This will show 
my audience that the Son of God cannot be man, while 
it is possible for me to be one with man when I say, 
''The kingdom of God is within you." 



THE FIRST RELIGION 57 

John, viii. , 42: ** Jesus said unto them, If God 
were your Father, ye would love me : for I proceeded 
forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, 
but he sent me." 

And while the world destroyed my body, it, being 
of dust, was as their own foundation, only to cause 
the knowledge of my Father's kingdom to come 
through man to verify my words. 

Matthew, vii. , 18: ^'A good tree cannot bring 
forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth 
good fruit." 

This evil tree could only bring forth corrupt fruit 
in the first generation, they being so corrupt, my 
Father said. 

Genesis, vi. , 3 : ^' His spirit shall not always strive 
with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall 
be a hundred and twenty years." In this time God 
gave mankind before taking his kingdom from them. 



58 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Noah, who was like Abel, had a desire to- 
ward God, causing my Father to find favor with him, 
and Noah, in answer to God's command, was made 
strong through the kingdom of my Father within him, 
so as to overcome all the obstacles caused by the peo- 
ple of that tirae, who tried to prevent him from doing 
God's command, which He gave in order to open 
a new world. Yet Noah, while walking with God, 
was like all mankind, good and evil before him — 
evil because he was flesh, and good because God's 
kingdom was within him. 

His walking, talking and being in evidence with 
God's command, which meant wisdom, he being the 
first man to receive such from God, which caused 
Noah to be the father of all religion, to have such 
wisdom, means to the world goodness from God, 
which comes from God's kingdom within man. 

The flesh, being evil, could not know good, as 



THE FIRST RELIGION 59 

all the world at that time was lost forever, had not 
God brought this knowledge of His kingdom to bear 
upon evil man. 

This wisdom, being supplied to Abraham, Isaac 
and Jacob, thereby causing them to be wise men, 
and coming down through the wise prophets, who were 
inspired through the kingdom of God within them 
with knowledge of things to come, the same as the 
knowledge of my coming to the world as a child in the 
flesh was revealed by the wise men, but not of flesh 
and blood, but by God, through His kingdom in them. 

At the closing of this convention, Jesus' words had 
so much effect on the fathers of all the religions in the 
world that they went to their different churches con- 
vinced that all men are one with God the Father, God 
the Son and God the Holy Ghost. 



60 THE FIRST RELIGION 



JESUS AS A PREACHER THROUGH HIS 

KINGDOM. 

Earth^s wisest Preacher tells of the kingdom of His 
Father in man, which endorses the words He heard 
before the world began, ^^Good and evil to know 
means one of ns to be. " 

With outstretched arms in love He said, *^The wise 
and the foolish my Father did make," assuring them 
all God's words cannot change: His kingdom in man 
means his elect. 

While the wisest son of man was He, the kingdom 
of His Father caused Him, the Son of God, to be, by 
being one with man, good and evil to see. **But my 
kingdom is not of this world," said He. 

This wisest Preacher said, '-None of the flesh are 



THE FIRST RELIGION 61 

good.'' No better proof could be given of the kingdom 
of God from above, for He, as man, was born again 
before He from the earth did ascend to be king in 
the world of His Father's kingdom in men. 

To this wisest Preacher of men by night a ruler 
came requesting of Him God's goodness to know. To 
this man Jesus made it very plain : * ^ While of the flesh 
none are good, you must be born again to see the 
kingdom of God as in man." 



62 THE FIRST RELIGION 



PAUL AS A PREACHER. 

Paul, as a preacher, in the early century, had an 
inspiration of the kingdom of God within him. 

Acts, xvii., 22-29: ''Then Paul stood in the midst 
of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive 
that in all things ye are too superstitious. 

" For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I 
found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UN- 
KNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly 
worship, him declare I unto you. 

*' God that made the world and all things therein, 
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth 
not in temples made with hands; 

*' Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as 



THE FIRST RELIGION 63 

though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all 
life, and breath, and all things; 

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men 
for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath de- 
termined the times before appointed, and the bounds 
of their habitation ; 

**That they should seek the Lord, if. haply they 
might feel after him, and find him, though he be not 
far from every one of us : 

"For in him we live, and move, and have our 
being ; as certain also of your own poets have said, For 
we are also his offspring. 

" Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, 
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto 
gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's 
device." 

II. Corinthians, iv., 7: " But we have this treasure 
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power 



64 THE FIRST RELIGION 

may be of God, and not of us." Also, II. Corinthians, 
iv., 1 6-1 8: **But though our outward man perish, yet 
the inward man is renewed day by day. 

''While we look not at the things which are seen, 
but at the things which are not seen; for the things 
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are 
not seen are eternal/' 



THE FIRST RELIGION 65 



DOWIE AS A PREACHER* 

Dowie, as a preacher in the twentieth century, 
thought it nothing to restore Greater New York back to 
the early century ways of doing things while the people 
in this age are enjoying all the inventions of men so 
freely through wisdom coming from none other than 
the Christ, for the betterment of mankind, including 
free knowledge of the world, which we could not have 
only for such government. 

The Son of God, who is drawing all men to be wise 
in all things, and who caused the leading men of this 
land of the free to build this new world on the motto 
that can never die, '' In God we trust, " allowing no man 
to be bound to man, because they believed God when 
He said, '* Behold the man has become as one of us " 



66 THE FIRST RELIGION 

And while enjoying the fruits of the goodness of 
God through those men, we know such fruit causes the 
men of this age to be wiser than in any previous age in 
history. 

I was somewhat surprised when my attention was 
drawn to an advertisement of the coming of a man who 
claimed to be Elijah the Third, and my curiosity was 
aroused, so I attended his meetings on several oc- 
casions. 

While at these meetings and hearing his denunci- 
ation of the wise men of this great city, I can only 
express my opinion of such a man by using the words 
in Proverbs, xvii., 15: ^'He that justifieth the wicked, 
and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an 
abomination to the Lord.'' 



THE FIRST RELIGION 67 



KINGDOMS IN THE WORLD. 

God through his Son, who was with Him before 
the world was (Luke., xvii., 21), and through His king- 
dom in His wise prophet (Amos, ix., 8), describes two 
kingdoms to us in this world. 

Jesus says God only is good, and who alone con- 
trols His kingdom in man, while we have God's own 
words, '*A man to know good and evil, leaves the king- 
dom of mankind to be evil with the good. " 

God, who is all power, apart from which none can 
exist, makes plain to us the power which caused man to 
become as one with the Holy Family, thereby causing 
every man, woman and child He ever made, after they 
passed through the temporal experience of the evil 
kingdom, to be one with Jesus, who went to His Father 
with a glorified body, He being with the Father before 



68 THE FIRST RELIGION 

man was, is plainly seen. lie also knew good and evil 
in the world. 

God saying, * 'Let ns make man in our image, " makes 
plain to ns a meeting of the perfect ones, which Jesus 
explained when He said He was with the Father before 
the world was, and proves to us that where the Father 
and the Son are, there also is the Holy Ghost, who is 
the mother of perfection which is in all mankind. 
While we look on the Holy Family that caused man to 
be formed from the dust in order to carry out their 
plan of perfection, we can only see this everlasting 
power as the strength within mankind, causing God's 
will to be done in earth as it is in heaven. 

We will imagine, for instance, during this perfect 
assemblage that with God was a map, He showing the 
Holy Family plans of the development of His endless 
kingdom through man, while He also is showing Jesus 
the plan of the extra mansions which He would prepare 



THE FIRST RELIGION 69 

before sending Him to the dark world, Jesus relating 
those words in John, xiv., 2, **In my Father's house are 
many mansions." 

These words make plain to us the Holy Family 
knew the end from the beginning of the kingdom of 
mankind, and brings to our minds Jesus' words ''A 
good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.*' 

How different is the Holy Family from the human 
family; for instance, an earthly father invests his 
money in business, but often without success, which 
brings worry to his home, he being temporal, not 
knowing the end from the beginning of his existence. 
This Paul explains in 11. Corinthians, iv., 7: ''But we 
have treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of 
the power may be of God, and not of us." 

This shows the imperfection of mankind and 
makes Jesus' words plain to us, '* Neither can a corrupt 
tree bring forth good fruit." 



70 THE FIRST RELIGION 

God made man out of the dust of the ground and 
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, causing life 
to come to the form of man, who became a living soul. 

The soul is of the Holy Family, which lives forever. 

Jesus' own words to mankind, '*None are good," 
would indicate that the human nature which is evil 
is dead to God, who is good. 

The fact that Adam and Eve brought God*s good- 
ness upon themselves is proven while they had a desire 
to be like God. Genesis, iii., 5, makes plain to us, 
while they were of a different nature to that of God, 
they could not be God ; but God in time, through His 
Son, made it plain (John, xiv., 10), He was God in man. 

This makes plain to us of an inspiration from the 
kingdom of God within Adam and Eve that was not of 
flesh and blood, from whence this God-like desire came. 

This brings us in touch with Jesus* words, ^^The 
kingdom of God is within man," who also tells us of 



THE FIRST RELIGION 71 

the kingdom of God within woman while He was show- 
ing His love for children, and said, '^Of such is the 
kingdom of God." 

In Luke, ii. , 48, we have the blessed Mary's 
words that *' Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus," 
which shows us that no ceremony of mankind can 
prevent the perfection coming through the kingdom 
of God in mankind to this world. 

In the 49th verse of this same chapter, Jesus said 
unto them: '' How is it that ye sought Me ? Wist ye 
not I must be about my Father's business ? " 

Yet while Jesus was in the world He was sub- 
missive to the will of man, while He knew the true 
worshipers in His Father's kingdom, who did the 
will of His Father in heaven. 

The same was His brother and sister, coming 
fromx His mother the Holy Ghost, when He said : 
''That which is born of the Spirit is spirit," and also 



72 THE FIRST RELIGION 

said : ' * God is a spirit, and them that worship Him 
must worship Him in spirit and in truth," which 
is His kingdom. 

Genesis, iii., 17 : ^'And unto Adam God said, 
Cursed is the ground for thy sake." These words 
spoken by God makes it impossible for man to be God 
or God to be man, yet He never cursed man. The fact 
that man could not exist without Him shows us the 
God-nature in the flesh, the flesh which cannot please 
God, makes it plain to us this curse of the material from 
which we are made is the cause of all sin, which 
brings to our mind Jesus' words when asked (John ix., 
3,4): ^'Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, 
that he was born blind ? " 

Jesus answered: ^'Neither has this man sinned, 
nor his parents ; but that the works of God should be j 

made manifest in him." 

Before Adam and Eve became parents, God sent 



THE FIRST RELIGION 73 

them forth from the garden, but not without drawing 
the attention of the Holy Family to the fact that 
mankind has become as one of us, to know good and 
evil ; and now, lest they put forth their hands and 
eat and live forever, is it not plain that within 
Adam and Eve there was the first worshiper of God, 
which caused God to guard against this perfection, 
lest it should return from whence it was sent, it being 
the God power in the earthly man coming to the world? 
Genesis, iii. , 24. 

Matthew, v., 18 : " For verily I say unto you, 
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall 
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." 

Jesus, while on earth, relates to us concerning 
the death of man when He said, ** Heaven and earth 
shall pass/' He, being with the Father before the 
world was, makes plain to us the strength of the 
kingdoms of God and man in the first generation. 



74 THE FIRST RELIGION 

before and after the flood. Jesus, being overseer, 
tells of his experience of the above in His Sermon on 
the Mount. 

Matthew, vii., 24, 27: '^Therefore whosoever hear- 
eth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken 
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a 
rock : 

*'And the rain descended, and the floods came, 
and the winds blew, and beat upon the house ; and it 
fell not : for it was founded upon a rock. 

''And every one that heareth these sayings of 
mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a 
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, 
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it 
fell : and great was the fall of it " 

Jesus' words : Matthew, v., 16 : " Let your light 



THE FIRST RELIGION 75 

shine before men, that they may see your good works, 
and g-lorify your Father which is in heaven." 

Matthew, xxv. , 35, t^6 : *'For I was a hungered, 
and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me 
drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me in : 

*' Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye 
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." 

While the inmates of God's kingdom heard His 
sayings, flesh and blood did not. 

Matthew, xxvi. ,55,56: ' ' In that same hour Jesus 
said to the multitudes, Are ye come out against a thief 
with swords and staves for to take me ? I sat daily 
with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold 
on me. 

'" But all this was done, that the Scriptures of the 
prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples 
forsook him and fled." 



76 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Matthew, xxv., 42, 43: '^ For I was a hungered, 
and ye gave me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave 
me no drink: 

** I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, 
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye 
visited me not. " 

They also heard His sayings. We have positive 
proof they could not comply with them, being born 
of the flesh. 

Such were the worshipers of the Son of God in the 
kingdom of the world. 

In God's words, even before the flood, we find 
God representing His kingdom and the kingdom of 
man. 



THE FIRST RELIGION 77 



WISE NOAH. 

Genesis, vi., 8, 9: '^ But Noah found grace in the 
eyes of the Lord. 

'* These are the generations of Noah: Noah was 
a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah 
I walked with God." 

We can see the perfect one in Noah worshiping 
God through His kingdom. 

Genesis, ix., 20-25: **And Noah began to be a 
husbandman, and he planted a vineyard : 

^*And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; 
and he was uncovered within his tent. 

' * And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the naked- 
ness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 

** And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid 



78 THE FIRST RELIGION 

it upon both of their shoulders, and went backward, 
and covered the nakedness of their father; and their 
faces were backward, and they saw not their father's 
nakedness. 

''And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what 
his younger son had done unto him. 

''And he said. Cursed be Canaan: a servant of 
servants shall he be unto his brethren." 



THE FIRST RELIGION 79 



NOAH AND ABRAHAM AS WORSHIPERS IN 
THE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD. 

Genesis, xvi., 5: ^^And Sarai said unto Abram, 
My wrong be upon thee : I have given my maid into thy 
bosom ; and when she saw that she had conceived, I 
was despised in her eyes; the Lord judge between me 
and thee." 

Genesis, xvii., 1-7: '*And when Abram was ninety 
years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and 
said unto him, I am the Almighty God ; walk before 
me, and be thou perfect. 

* And I will make my covenant between me and 
thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 



80 THE FIRST RELIGION 

''And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with 
him, saying, 

''As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and 
thou shalt be a father of many nations. 

'^Neither shall thy name any more be called 
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham ; for a father 
of many nations have I made thee. 

**And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I 
will make nations of thee, and kings shall come ovit 
of thee. 

*'And I will establish my covenant between me and 
thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for 
an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to 
thy seed after thee." 

John, viii., 58: ''Jesus said unto them, Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." 

Genesis, xiii., 2: "And Abraham was very rich 
in cattle, in silver, and in gold." 



THE FIRST RELIGION 81 

Jesus' words, Matthew, xix., 24: ^*And again I 
say unto you. It is easier for a camel to go through 
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into 
the kingdom of God. " 



82 THE FIRST RELIGION 




RICH MAN VERSUS RICH MAN. 

Luke, xvi., 19-31 : ** There was a certain rich man, 
which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared 
sumptuously every day : 

'/And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 

''And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell 
from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came 
and licked his sores. 

' 'And it came to pass that the beggar died, and 
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the 
rich man also died, and was buried; 

' 'And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- 



THE FIRST RELIGION 83 

ments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his 
bosom. 

**And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have 
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the 
tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am 
tormented in this flame. 

^'But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in 
thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou 
art tormented. 

' ^ And beside all this, between us and you there is 
a great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from 
hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that 
would come from thence. 

" Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that 
thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 

''For I have five brethren; that he may testify 



84 THE FIRST RELIGION 

unto them, lest they also come into this place of 
torment. 

''Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and 
the prophets; let them hear them. 

"And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one 
went unto them from the dead, they would repent. 

*'And he said unto him. If they hear not Moses 
and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, 
though one rose from the dead." 

While we refer to Genesis, xvi., 5, it is to be plainly 
seen that Jesus in his parables always made reference 
to temporal objects. As He sets forth in the above par- 
able, that while we in some manner get a wrong con- 
ception of His meaning, for we know that angels would 
not want to go to Abraham's bosom as a man 
while his wife Sarah could contradict his perfection, 
Abraham, after leaving this world, was like all 
mankind. 



« 



THE FIRST RELIGION 85 

Job, vii., 9, lo, says: **As the cloud is consumed 
and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to the 
grave shall come up no more. 

"He shall return no more to his house, neither 
shall his place know him any more." 

Moses, whom Abraham has reference to in the 
above parable, and who was a perfect man, chosen of 
God, yet, being born of the flesh, is manifested by the 
words from the Bible as not perfect. 

Exodus, ii., 12-14: "And he looked this way and 
that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he 
slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 

"And when he went out the second day, behold, 
two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said 
to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou 
thy fellow ? 

"And he said. Who made thee a prince and a judge 
over us ? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the 



86 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Egyptian ? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this 
thing is known. " 

Moses also shows us that the devil has no power 
beyond the earth, which was cursed for man's sake. 
Exodus, iv., 2-5: ''And the Lord said unto him, 
What is that in thine hand ? And he said, A rod. 

''And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast 
it on the ground, and it became a serpent : and Moses 
fled from before it. 

'^And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine 
hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his 
hand and caught it, and it became a rod in bis hand. 

'*That they may believe that the Lord God of their 
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the 
God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.'* 

Jesus can be understood when we believe His 
words, ''Behold, the kingdom of God is within you," 
which means man cannot nor never could enter the 



THE • FIRST RELIGION 87 

kingdom of God, for the kingdom of God is coming 
through man unto the perfect day. 

How many in the world believe God cursed the 
ground for man's sake ? Whoever believes those 
words must believe we are carrying around with 
us a body of this ground which is cursed. The very 
fact that after death it goes back to its mother earth 
proves this. Is it not possible we are going through 
all the hell we can get while we are in this body ? 
Don't you think, while Jesus said He was among the 
none that were good in the flesh, that if one rose from 
the dead and told to the world that in all mankind is 
God's perfect ones^ and that Jesus was king of them in 
the world, from which source only comes goodness, 
that mankind would believe ? No, this sinful flesh 
cannot believe good because it is dead to God, 
which caused Jesus to say: * 'Marvel not, you must 
be born again," 



88 THE FIRST RELIGION 

Jesus tells of His being king in the world. Matt., 
xvi., 28: '*Verily I say tinto you. There be some stand- 
ing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see 
the Son of man coming in his kingdom." 







THE FIRST RELIGION 89 



HOW MANY IN THE WORLD TO-DAY 
BELIEVE THE WORDS OF JESUS? 

I not only believe His word, but I believe He 
is ruling the universe and filling it to overflowing 
with the essence of Health, Beauty, Power, Opu- 
lence, Goodness, Wisdom, Love; that every seem- 
ing contradiction is but the figment of negative 
thought. Sin is Ignorance, Error is Misunderstand- 
ing, Vice is Shortsightedness, Poverty is Blindness, 
Failure is Faithlessness, Misfortune is Misfitness, Envy 
is Ambition thwarted. Malice is Charity misplaced. 
Hate is Love inverted, Fear is Hope repressed, 
Gloom is Light undawned. Disease is Health un- 
claimed. Death is Life unsensed, Hell is Heaven 
undeveloped. 



90 THE FIRST RELIGION 

I believe that every living creature has within 
itself the elements of perfection, needing but to know 
and to grow the Divine Within for the attaining of the 
snblimest heights imagined and idealized by the human 
mind; that Pain and Sorrow, Doubt and Despair, 
Disease and Death, are but passing stages of arrested 
Unfoldment — beneficent in their purpose when under- 
stood, dominated and outgrown. 

I believe that the human body is literally the 
Temple of God; the outer court is Thought, 
controlling all entrance and exit; the inner court is 
Digestion, where none but the pure may penetrate; 
and the Holy of holies is Sex — the Shekinah of the 
Creative Principle. To purify the Temple needs but 
to banish from the outer court the sprites of Adverse 
Suggestion, to clear from the inner court the gnomes 
of Mal-assimilation, and to lift from the Holy of holies 
the cloud of shame that Prudery has precipitated. 



1 



THE FIRST RELIGION 91 

I believe that Man, as a human being, should live 
close to Nature, eat the simplest foods, drink the 
purest water, breathe the clearest air, seek the highest 
sunlight, wear the loosest clothing, inhabit the freest 
dwelling, cherish the truest comradeship, and think the 
happiest thoughts; that Man as a divine being must 
grow — or die ; and that this tiny planet is only to form 
his foothold, while his Hope and Longing and Love 
rise into conscious oneness with the Infinite. 

I believe that Ignorance, Fear, Criticism, Public 
Opinion and Creed are the self -perpetuating slayers of 
the human spirit ; that the intuitive supremacy of the 
Higher Consciousness is the summit of power whence 
springs all purposeful and resourceful activity; that no 
system of faith, whether physical, psychical, or spirit- 
ual, can or should endure, save as it awakens, arouses, 
inspires and unfolds this individual God-Conscious- 
ness. 



92 THE FIRST RELIGION 

I believe that the education of a child should be- 
gin primarily with the wooing- of its parents and end 
only with its centenary transmutation into the Uni- 
versal, unsullied by the fleeting shadow we call Death ; 
that the hope of the race lies in Immaculate Concep- 
tion, Pre-natal Culture and Child- Unfolding, and that 
no human can be too aged or infirm or despairing to be 
illumined and inspired and transfigured by the light 
of Truth. 

We must not forget the first taste of the gov- 
ernment of the God king in the world, that came 
from the inspiration of the wise men, while having 
the heavenly vision of the Christ child on earth, 
which made them rejoice with exceedingly great joy. 
The effect on the w^orld of that joy has never de- 
creased in the material life, for while the descend- 
ants of wisdom were so happy at the birth of Jesus 
on the first Christmas day, they also were the 



THE FIRST RELIGION 93 

founders of all Christmas gifts, which is universal in 
the world with both rich and poor. 

It is plainly seen when they presented to the child 
g-ifts. Matt., ii., ii: ''And when they were come into 
the house, they saw the young child with Mary his 
mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when 
they had opened their treasures, they presented unto 
him gifts; gold, and frankincense and mjvvh.'' So 
the goodness coming from the knowledge the wise men 
had of the coming of the Universal King will never 
be forgotten in the world. 



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